Eye and face wash



May 21, 1963 J. FRASER ETAL 3,090,050

EYE AND FACE WASH Filed Oct. 23, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 m f I l? H to L,

i l6 \v 4 I 25 INVENTORS EDWARD S. MCLEAN JAMES FRASER ATTORNEYS May 21, 1963 J. FRASER ETAL EYE AND FACE WASH 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25. 1961 FIG? INVENTORS EDWARD S. MCLEAN EVIIIIA,

a I. III

JAMES FRASER ATTORNEYS May 21, 1963 J. FRASER ErAL EYE AND FACE WASH 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 F I 6. l0

INVENTOR Edward S. McLean 8 James Fraser ATTORNEYS Filed 001;. 23, 1961 FIG May 21, 1963 .1. FRASER ETAL 3,090,050

EYE AND FACE WASH Filed Oct. 25, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I III-III INVENTOR. Edward S. McLean 8 James Fraser TTORN E YS 1963 .1. FRASER ETAL EYE AND FACE WASH May 21,

Filed Oct. 23, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 14

INVENTORS EDWARD S. MCLEAN JAMES FRASER BY%M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,090,050 EYE AND FACE WASH James Fraser and Edward S. McLean, Wilmington, DeL, assignors to Speakmnn Company, Wilmington, Del. Filed Oct. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 147,017 12 Claims. (Cl. 4-166) This invention relates to a fountain for washing the human eyes and face, and more in particular relates to an improved bath for continuously washing the human eyes and face.

This invention is a continuation-impart of application Serial No. 551,757, filed December 8, 1955, now abandoned, in the names of James Fraser and Edward S. McLean, and is also a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 82,132, filed January 11, 196l, now abandoned, filed in the names of James Fraser and Edward S. McLean, which application was a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 807,381, filed April 20, 1959, now Patent 3,007,645. All of these applications are copending.

Heretofore certain eye baths have been used, especially around chemical plants to remove foreign substances, particularly corrosive chemicals that are accidentally introduced into the eyes and on the face. These baths have a spray head with small openings therein directly attached to a source of water under pressure, so as to discharge a solid stream of liquid in an arc intersecting mid-way the length of the bowl, so as to subject the eyes and face to :1 solid stream of Water without any air therein. The problem of equal liquid distribution was solved in the Benson Patent 2,482,960, by having a common manifold. In the Logan Patent 2,775,774 a solid stream of water is discharged in the same manner to produce the same results as it was in the Benson patent, and the problem of liquid distribution was solved by means of a baffle within the spray piece. Both of these patents recognized the problem of obtaining equal liquid distribution on each side of the face washing device. Both also disclosed the use of a solid stream of water, or a multiplicity of small solid streams of water.

It is an object of this invention to provide an eye bath having a water spray arranged in coniunction with a pressure regulator.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an eye bath forming the water spray with a softened mixture of water and air.

Another object of this invention is to provide an eye bath with the spray admitting nozzles symmetrically arranged on each side of the bath so as to provide a confluence of two streams which spread out at the point of impact to form a spray.

A further object of this invention is to provide automatic flow control devices in conjunction with the water inlet to both equalize the water pressure and to control the water temperature.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a face wash that may be initiated by means of a foot controlled valve of either the pedal type or of the electric mat type and have in conjunction therewith a hand controlled valve.

The various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out With particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages and specific objects obtained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and desoriptive matter in which have been illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the fountain partially in section.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the fountain.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the foot pedal.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the front of the fountain showing the water flow.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a front view of the fountain showing the conduit arrangement.

FIGURE 8 is a front view of the fountain Showing the electric foot mat.

FIGURE 9 is a front view of the fountain showing the manual by-pass and the automatic foot control.

FIGURE 10 is a side view taken on line 10-10 of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE ll is a front view of the face wash fountain partially in section.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary top plan view taken on the line 12-12 of FIGURE 11 showing a multiple number of spray nozzles.

FIGURE 13 is a side view of the fountain.

FIGURE 14 is a front elevational view with parts in section of the pressure and temperature control unit.

FIGURE 15 is a side view partially in section taken on line 1515 of FIGURE 14.

Referring more in particular to the form of the invention shown in the drawings. the face bath illustrated in FIGURE 1 comp-rises a basin 10 rigidly mounted on the face of a wall or other suitable support. This basin. for the purposes of illustration is elliptical in shape, as shown in FIGURE 5, but may be made in any convenient form. The form illustrated has the side aprons 11, 11 (shown in FIGURE 7) on each side thereof, and these aprons are made in one continuous piece with the top surface of the face bath, so as to form a water retaining bowl portion 12, shown in FIGURE 1. This basin for convenience and appearance may be made of enameled iron, vitreous china or stainless steel.

The bowl or Water retaining portion 12 of this basin is connected to a drain 13 by means of a conduit 14, having the usual trap 15 therein. Arranged on each side of the basin are spray nozzles 16 and 17, as shown in FIGURE 2, discharging towards one another from each side thereof so as to threw two streams of Water commingled with air, 18 and 19, which intersect in the central portion of the basin to form a curtain of water 20. These nozzles 16 and 17 are connected through conduits 21 and 22 to a pressure equalizer and distributing head 23 shown in FIGURE 6. This head 23 is connected by a conduit 24 to an angle key 25 attached to a brace plate 24' which is connected by means of a conduit 26 to a hand operated valve of the quick opening type 27. This valve is connected by conduit 28 to a screening device 29 to a source of water under pressure 29'.

An alternative valve arrangement is shown in FIGURE 2, wherein the quick opening valve 27 is actuated by means of the rod 30 working inside conduit 31 terminating in the foot pedal 32. These two methods of initiating flow of water may be combined into one so that either the handle or foot pedal may be used alternatively on the same apparatus to open valve 27.

The spray nozzles 16 and 17 are of the aerating type and are shown in detail in the sectional view (FIGURE 3) wherein the conduit 21 or 22 allows the water to pass through the cleaning screen 33 around an obturator insert 3-4 which forces the water to flow through the openings therein out through the opening adjacent to the neck thereof and around the head 35 arranged thereabove.

Air is admitted through the side opening 36 and flows with the water through the mixing screens 37 and is ejected therewith through the nozzle 17. This produces a soft water, air mixture and is entirely different in its feel and action on the eyes and other tender portions of the body, from a hard jet of water where the water is simply forced through a small opening. The arrangement of the orifice 36 and screens 33, 37 gives a good mixing action to the water and air flowing therethrough.

It is an object of this invention to so regulate the pressure of water that it flows gently from each of the nozzles 16, 17 with just sufficient force that the two streams 1.8 and 19 impinge to form a curtain of water 20, as shown in FIGURE 5. In order to accomplish this, a pressure regulator and equalizer 23 is placed in the conduit as described above. One form of equalizer is shown in FIGURE 6 wherein the conduit 24 brings the water under pressure to the chamber having a conduit 21 and 22 from each end thereof. The pressure may be regulated and equalized by adjusting the valve members 41 and 42 in each end of this chamber 40. While this type of pressure equalizer and regulator is shown for purposes of illustration, any other suitable device may be used; but it is necessary that the pressure be equally distributed to each of the spray nozzles so as to form a curtain of water in the center thereof and this requires maintaining just the proper amount of pressure so that the curtain remains within the center of the basin.

In operation, a person approaches the eye bath and opens the quick acting valve 27 admitting water from the main 29, which flows through the conduit 26 into the regulator and equalizer 23. It then flows through the condiuts 21 and 22 and through the nozzles associated therewith to form a curtain of. Water in the basin 10. The person then lowers his face until it and both eyes are immersed in the soft stream of water and air and may rotate his face from side to side within this bathing mixture. He also may bathe his eyes using his hand in addition to the water if he so desires.

The eye bath fixture can be installed as a safety device in all industrial and chemical plants. It can also be installed in offices where eye fatigue can be relieved by its use.

Another illustration of the method of initiating the flow of water is shown in FIGURE 8, wherein the basin has the aerator nozzles 51, 51 arranged on each side of the interior thereof. The water supply pipe 52 is connected to the conduit 53 which is connected through the solenoid valve 54 to the conduit 55, which in turn is connected to the manifold (not shown) and to the aerator nozzles 51, 51. The solenoid valve 54 is controlled by means of the electric floor mat 56 which is energized by means of the electric socket 57, through the electrical leads 58 to the floor mat and the electrical leads 59 to the solenoid valve 54.

This type of control may be combined with the manual control, as shown in FIGURE 9, wherein in addition to the fioor mat control, described above, the by-pass conduit 60, by-passing the solenoid valve 54 has the manual valve 61 located therein. This allows the manual initiation of the water flow in case of electrical failure, or failure of the floor mat to function.

The face wash arrangement, shown in FIGURES 11 to 13, comprises a stainless steel bowl 65 attached to a drain 66 having a returned edge portion 67 therearound. Mounted on this portion 67 are two spray nozzle assemblages 6 8, 68. These comprise a hood portion 69 extending inwardly so as to limit the flow of water from the aerators 70, 70, shown in FIGURE 11. The aerators are connected to the water chamber 71 which has water admitted thereto through the pressure equalizer 72. The Water is admitted to the pressure equalizer through the chamber 73. The water supply conduit 74 supplies water to the chamber 73 and to the conduit 75 transferring water to the other spray assemblage diametrically mount ed on the bowl. Water entering through the conduit 76 is admitted to the conduit 74 through the quick opening valve 77 therebetween. The aerating spray nozzles 70 are shown in FIGURE 12 where there are three mounted on each side. The valve 77 is controlled by the vane 78, shown in FlGURES ll, 12 and 13, and is manually swung through the are as shown in FIGURE 13 to open the quick acting valve 77. This valve 77 may be of the solenoid type, shown in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 and there may be in addition to the manually controlled valve a solenoid valve which will initiate the flow of water when contact is made with an electric floor mat.

In a device, such as an eye wash or any other fixture wherein one valve initiates the flow of both the hot and the cold water, it may have the temperature control therein, by use of a flow control device arranged in the hot and cold water conduits. The cold water is admitted through the conduit 35, shown in FIGURE 14 and flows upwardly through the conduit 86 and through the automatic control device 87 into the mixing chamber 83, and the hot water is admitted through the hot water conduit 89 and flows upwardly through the conduit 90 and through the automatic flow control device 91 mounted in the top thereof and admits the hot water to the mixing chamber The flow control device disclosed herein is of the type shown in the application, resulting in Patent 2,914,- 048, issued November 24. 1959. This device automatically regulates the volume of water with variations in pressure. The mixing chamber 88 is connected by the conduit 92 to the valve assembly 93, which controls the How to the outlet port 94. In FIG. 15, the hot Water conduit 39 is connected to a chamber 95 before the water is admitted to the conduit 90. Within this chamber 95 is a screen 96 inserted from the end thereof and held in place by the screw cap 97. The same screen assembly is in the cold water conduit.

It has been found that a 2 g.p.m. flow control device in the hot water supply and a 5 /2 g.p.m. in the cold water supply with the cold water at 40 F., as it is in the winter time, or 75 F. as it is in the summer time. and the hot water at F. both winter and summer, that the temperature of the discharged water will vary from 80 F. to 104 F., and the volume will remain constant regardless of the pressure in the water supply line. Temperatures within this range are readily tolerated by the face and eyes and therefore for the first time it has been possible to construct an eye wash device with a single valve operating the emergency unit and having therein units which control the temperature and at the same time control the volume of Water which flows therethrough.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statute the best forms of. embodiment of this invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the forms of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims and that in some cases certain features may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. In an eye wash comprising in combination:

(a) a pair of discharge outlets, connected to a mixing chamber by means of a control valve,

(b) each discharge outlet having an aerator mounted thereon,

(c) said mixing chamber having a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet.

(d) an automatic flow control device in each inlet to limit the volume of water admitted through each inlet so as to control the temperature of the water in the mixing chamber.

2. In an eye wash having in combination:

(a) a mixing chamber connected to hot and cold water inlets,

(b) having a valve means to control the flow of water from the mixing chamber,

all std.

(c) an automatic flow control device in each of the inlets to limit the volume of water admitted through each inlet so as to control the temperature of the water in the mixing chamber.

3. A fountain for continuously washing human eyes which comprises in combination:

(a) a source of water under pressure,

(b) a basin connected to a drain, said basin being large enough to receive the human face,

(c) at least two aerating nozzles having a water conduit therethrough and air ports in the sides thereof,

(d) said nozzles being equally spaced from each side of said basin,

(e) a pressure equalizer having conduits therefrom to each nozzle,

(f) a conduit from the pressure equalizer to said source of water, and

(g) a means in said last mentioned conduit to initiate the water flow.

4. A fountain as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for initiating the water flow is a combination foot and pedal mounted valve.

5. A fountain as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means of initiating the water flow is an electric foot mat.

6. A fountain for continuously washing human eyes,

comprising in combination:

(a) a source of water under pressure,

(b) a basin connected to a drain,

(0) two aerating nozzles having a water conduit therethrough and air inlet ports in the sides thereof,

(d) said nozzles being equally spaced from the center of said basin on each side thereof,

(2) a pressure equalizer having a conduit therefrom to each nozzle,

(f) a conduit from the pressure equalizer to said source,

and

(g) a manually controlled valve in the last mentioned conduit between the pressure equalizer and said source.

7. A fountain for washing human eyes comprising in combination:

(a) a source of water under pressure,

(b) a drain,

(0) a basin connected to the drain,

(d) two aerating nozzles having a water conduit therethrough and air inlet ports in the sides thereof,

(e) said nozzles being equally spaced from the center of said basin on each side thereof,

(f) a pressure equalizer having a conduit therefrom to each nozzle,

(g) a conduit from the pressure equalizer to said source of water, and

(h) a manually and foot controlled valve in the last mentioned conduit between the pressure equalizer and said source of water.

8. In an eye wash, comprising in combination:

(a) a bowl large enough to receive the human face,

(b) a conduit projecting upwardly on each side of said bowl and mounted thereon,

(c) each conduit having three aerator nozzles attached thereto discharging inwardly toward the center of said bowl,

(d) each conduit having a pressure equalizer therein,

(e) each conduit being connected to a mixing chamber having a hot and cold water inlet,

(i) an automatic flow control device in each inlet to limit the volume of water admitted through each inlet so as to control the temperature of the water in the mixing chamber, and

(g) a valve between said mixing chamber and said conduit.

9. In an eye wash, comprising in combination:

(a) a bowl large enough to receive the human face,

(b) a conduit projecting upwardly on each side of said bowl and mounted thereon,

(c) each conduit having a plurality of aerator nozzles attached thereto discharging inwardly toward the center of said bowl,

(d) each conduit having a pressure equalizer therein,

(e) both conduits being connected to a mixing chamber having a water inlet,

(f) an automatic flow control device in said inlet to admit a constant volume of water regardless of the water pressure,

(8) and a valve admitting water to said mixing chamber from a water main.

10. In an eye wash, comprising in combination:

( a) a bowl large enough to receive the human face,

(5) a conduit projecting upwardly on each side of said bowl and mounted thereon,

(c) each conduit having a plurality of aerator nozzles attached thereto discharging inwardly toward the center of said bowl,

(d) each conduit having a pressure equalizer therein,

(2) both conduits being connected to a mixing chamher having a water inlet, and

(f) a valve admitting water to said mixing chamber from a water main.

11. An eye Wash as claimed in claim 9, wherein said valve is a quick opening valve controlled by a vane.

12. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein said valve is a solenoid valve energized by an electric floor mat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 598,987 Hammann et a1 Feb. 15, 1898 2,270,239 Cushman Jan. 20, 1942 2,336,402 Kaiser Dec. 7, 1943 2,482,960 Bensom Sept. 27, 1949 2,612,901 Milano Oct. 7, 1952 2,633,343 Aghnides Mar. 31, 1953 2,775,774 Logan Jan. 1, 1957 2,778,031 Logan Jan. 22, 1957 2,914,084 McLean et al Nov. 24, 1959 2,999,191 Muradian et al. Sept. 5, 1961 2,999,248 Logan et a1 Sept. 12, 1961 

